I, Us & We "Mono"

Is it odd to anyone else that this band name includes every pronoun of the sort except for "me"?   Is it just me?   Okay then, I'll move on.    These are four songs from I, Us & We- which reminds me of "Me, Myself & I" but isn't.     They have a low-key vibe to them, churning out the softer side of electronic pop.   With piano keys and vocals that can remind me of Muse these are carefully crafted between Blue October and the more redeeming qualities of U2.

In some ways, this reminds me of something more on the electronic side of the coin, such as Twin Shadow or one of those producer types who creates all these beats and uses keyboard and synth.    But then there are enough guitar riffs in here, slow and cutting, that I'm hesitant to put an electric tag on it.     This is especially apparent in the song "Free", in which he can really sing so beautifully about how he is free.

"Lanterns" is a good example of the somewhat electronic side of these songs as it reminds me of Stabbing Westward without all of the teenage angst.     This also somehow brings out hints of a slowed down Duran Duran, which is never really a bad name to find popping up in your head when listening to music.

       As "Lanterns" sings about love being the cruelest game to play and being for dreamers, he ends with "I would say that love brought me to you".    An email, followed by a link I opened, a file I streamed and then a .ZIP folder I chose to download based upon the fact that I liked the first song I heard was what brought me to I, Use & We.    If I am to be what brings you to this wonderful music then so be it, but whatever path you should take I hope you do find this one.   

Boom! Bap! Pow! "So Heavy"

[https://soundcloud.com/boombappow/sets/so-heavy]

Somewhere between the dreamy rock of something out of the 1940's or 1950's (Think Buddy Holly era, but not) and the more recent ska revival of a band such as Save Ferris comes the music of Boom! Bap! Pow!.   The multi-instrumental songs with vocals that would make Gwen Stefani herself blush could be the soundtrack to a great spy film or simply contest with Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas.

How do you describe something that borrows from genres but doesn't have one of its own?   You can only say what it isn't, rather than what it is.   This isn't Shannon and the Clams.   It's not Save Ferris or No Doubt.    It's not quite doo-wop and it's not any of the pop acts from when songs like "Teen Angel" were first tearing up the radio waves.  (Though sometimes, yes, this does sound like the soundtrack to "Cry Baby")

As strange as it may sound, a song like "My World" can also pull out those hints of The Jackson 5 and, wow, the fact that a band can stay true to their own sound and yet cross these various genres just shows you how incredibly talented they are musically.    This is just overly addicting.   I don't want to write about it.   I just want to listen to it.   You should be listening to it too.   Hear her belting that line out?   If that doesn't convince you then nothing will and you're not worth my time.